Luke Smith (music producer)
English musician (born 1978)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Luke Smith (born 4 May 1978) is an English record producer, mixing engineer, musician and songwriter. He was the co-founder, songwriter, guitarist and vocalist of the band Clor. His production and writing credits include Foals, Depeche Mode, Everything Everything, Palace, Anna of The North, Keaton Henson, Charlie Cunningham, Crystal Fighters, Slow Club, Fryars and Petite Noir. He has worked on such popular and critically acclaimed albums as Total Life Forever and Sounds of the Universe.
Career
Clor
From 2003 to 2005, Smith founded with Barry Dobbin and provided lead guitars and vocals for the band Clor.[1] He co-wrote and produced their eponymous sole album which was released in 2005[2] to critical acclaim.[3][4][5] In May 2006, Smith and his co-founder announced Clor had split up.[6] Later, in 2010, their album was voted number 1 topping NME's “100 greatest albums you've never heard".[7][8]
Production and writing
In 2007 to present, Smith has produced a number of critically acclaimed releases.[9] Of his work, Smith’s most noted is his production of the seminal second album Total Life Forever by Foals in Gothenburg in 2010[10] and programming of the twelfth studio album Sounds of the Universe by Depeche Mode in 2009.[11][12]
He has writing credits on a number of these recordings; he co-wrote The King of Anxiety, the debut EP by Petite Noir, from which the song "Chess" has 4.5 million streams.
His recordings have been released on labels Mute, Parlophone, Domino, Pias, Moshi Moshi, Kitsune, Transgressive, Geffen.[13]
| Artist | Product | Release details |
|---|---|---|
| Shitdisco | "Kingdom of Fear" | 2007, Fierce Panda |
| Fryars | "The Ides" EP | 2007 |
| Depeche Mode | "Sounds of the Universe" | 2009, Mute Records |
| Everything Everything | "Photoshop Handsome" single | 2009, Polydor |
| Charlotte Hatherley | "New Worlds" | 2009, Fullfill |
| Foals | "Total Life Forever" | 2010, Warner |
| Slow Club | "Paradise" | 2011, Moshi Moshi |
| Crystal Fighters | "Champion Sound" single | 2011, Zirkulo |
| Eugene McGuinness | "The Invitation to the Voyage” | 2012, Domino |
| Is Tropical | "I’m Leaving" | 2013, Kitsuné |
| Theme Park | "Theme Park" | 2013, Transgressive |
| Fryars | "Power” | 2014, Fiction Records |
| Petite Noir | "King of Anxiety" EP | 2014, Domino |
| Crystal Fighters | "Everything is in my Family" | 2016, PIAS |
| Part Company | "Seasons" | 2017, Labelgum |
| Anna of the North | "Lovers" | 2017, PIAS |
| Yasmine Hadman | "Al Jamilat | 2017, Crammed Discs |
| Noémie Wolfs | "Hunt You" | 2016, Universal Music Belgium |
| Highs | "Dazzle Camouflage" | 2017, Indicia |
| Bazart | "2" | 2018, PIAS |
| Life | "A Picture of Good Health" | 2019, Afghan Moon |
| Chartreuse | "Even Free Money Doesn't Get Me Out of Bed" EP | 2019, PIAS |
| Ten Fé | "Future Perfect, Present Tense" | 2019, Some Kinda Love |
| Palace | "Life After" | 2019, Fiction |
| Keaton Henson | "Monument" | 2020, PIAS |
| Keaton Henson | "Fragments" EP | 2021, PIAS |
| Blanketman | "National Trust" EP | 2021 |
| Everything Everything | "Man Alive" | 2023, Universal |
| Puma Blue | "Holy Waters" | 2023, Blue Flowers |
| Sailor Honeymoon | "Sailor Honeymoon" | 2024, Good Good |
| Charlie Cunningham | "In Light" | 2025, Kartel |
| Ten Fé | "Stil In Love" | 2025, Some Kinda Love |
| Shura | "I Got To Sad For My Friends" | 2025 |
Performance and music direction
Smith is a multi-instrumentalist and provides guitar and keyboard performances, amongst other instruments played by him, on nearly all of his productions.
Smith was appointed and worked as the Musical Director of Lily Allen's Sheezus world tour[13] which played in the UK, Europe, US and Australia.[14] He played guitar live as well as being responsible for the show's music at large. In 2019, Luke worked on musical direction for the Raconteurs.
He has scored the music for a number of film, radio and TV projects.
Remixing
Smith is well known for his remix work including his remixes of "Hotride" by The Prodigy[15][16] and "After Dark" by Le Tigre[15][16] in 2004, Perfume by Sparks[17][18] in 2006, "Nothing But Green Lights" by Tom Vek[19][20] and "Sister In Love" by Envelopes[21][22] in 2005, "X-ray" by The Maccabees (band),[23][24][25] "Behave" by Charlotte Hatherley[26][27] and "Reactor Party" by Shitdisco[28][29][30] in 2006, "Benedict Arnold" by FrYars[31][32] in 2008. Smith going under the name Lagos Boys Choir also remixed the hit singles "Focker" by Late Of The Pier, "Bullet Proof" by La Roux and "Miles Away" by Depeche Mode throughout 2008 and 2009.[33][34]
Nominations and awards
In 2010, the album Sounds of the Universe was nominated and shortlisted for the Best Alternative Music Album award in the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.[35]
In 2010, the album Total Life Forever was nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize.[36]
His work Spanish Sahara, the lead single off the album, won the 'Best Song' award at the NME Awards in 2011.[37]